Broken Bonds and Coveted Elements
by EnergyBlastNinjaWriter
Summary: A new twist on the Tournament of Elements. Its been a week since the ninja entered in an effort to get Zane back, only to find that its a long way to go till they find their teammate. Lloyd is soul-searching, Kai is doubting his importance on the team, and Jay and Cole are in a bad case of bad blood. What could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1: Wisdom Over Breakfast

The morning was cold.

Kai felt the freezing morning air blow lightly through his spiky hair, poking against his cheek. Walking out of his room and onto the porch, Kai let out a breath, watching it form into a small visible cloud before dissipating a moment later.

His eyes scanned over the endless, beautiful jungle of the island. For a crime lord, Chen sure was banished to a freaking _amazing_ island. Kai sure wouldn't mind being banished here.

The cold air soon began bothering the Fire Ninja, who was dressed only the sleeveless tournament gi that Chen had given him, which was obviously made a very thin fabric that did little to nothing to keep Kai warm on cold mornings like this. He went from fighting Ash, the Master of Smoke, on a bridge over a pool of _lava,_ to sitting in the cold.

 _Its funny how some things change._

He had realized that many times recently. They had been a unified, strong team, and then they lost Zane in the blink of an eye.

They had come to this dreaded tournament to find Zane, only to be further strained apart by Chen's endless antics. Not to mention Jay and Cole were still quite sour at eachother over their right over Nya.

 _How he_ _ **HATED**_ _when those two fought over his sister..._

The only two members of the team who really seemed concerned about their status as a team were Garmadon and, of course, Lloyd. That poor kid had been trying so hard to bring the band back together, but no one seemed to keen on helping out.

And Kai? He wasn't even sure if he cared about the team anymore. He just wanted _Zane_ back. He just wanted his life to go back to normal, just like it was before those Skulkin kidnapped Nya, before Wu showed up at the blacksmith shop...

Kai often wondered what his life would have been like had he and Nya never joined the team.

In fact, without them, there may not have _ever_ been a team.

The two siblings had their own important roles on the team. Nya was their "girl power" of the team and her very own guise as Samurai X. She was kinda their "heavy duty provider", as Cole once put it.

And Kai was the Fire Ninja, and...

And what?

Was his element really all that defined him? Would he really be all that useful or interesting of a guy if he hadn't accepted the red gi?

Was he really that useful to the team?

Kai gritted his teeth and stared down at the floor as these thoughts ran through his head. Maybe he wasn't so important as he once thought.

His train of thought was disrupted as the bell for breakfast rang, and the sound of hurrying footsteps was heard outside Kai's room and downstairs. Kai sighed and closed the doors to the porch shut, before locking his own room and walking down the several flights of stairs to the Meal Hall.

He was instantly greeted with the smells of the different foods and delicacies that were provided. Several of the Elemental Masters had already grabbed their food and stole all the good seats.

 _Figures._

Kai walked to the back of the lines, grabbing a meal tray from the table. He looked at the Master in line before him. Even though his back was turned, Kai instantly recognized the Master of Speed.

 _Griffin, was it?_

The younger Master was impatiently tapping his foot against the floor as several groans spewed from his mouth as he watched those in front of him receive their breakfast.

"Ah! Come on, man!" Griffin griped. "This line is so _slow_!"

"Must be very hard for the Master of _Speed_ to be held up in such a slow line, I'd assume," Neuro grinned from a few people ahead in line. "Guess you'll have to _patiently_ wait in line like the rest of us."

Griffin rolled his eyes in a scoff, whipping his head around to look away from the Master of Mind.

The loudspeaker crackled for a moment before Chen's ominous, nauseating voice spoke, "May I remind you that today's desert is some of our finest chocolate cake? Limited amount left! Get them while they're still available!"

With this, a large amount of Masters erupted in a loud cheer as they rushed out of the breakfast line over to the table with the cake.

There were two Masters remaining in the breakfast line.

Kai faked a smile as Lloyd waved to him from farther down the line.

"Morning, Kai. Rest well?" Lloyd spoke cheerily, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Kai wondered how Lloyd could have such a positive attitude in a place like this.

"I act positive just for the sake of it," Lloyd said quickly, almost as if he read the Fire Ninja's mind. Wasn't that Neuro's thing? "If I have no positivity, I have no peace. If I have no peace, I cannot have hope. And without hope, I am nothing." Lloyd spoke as if he had said this to himself in the mirror every night before bed.

Actually, knowing Lloyd, he probably did just that.

"Was that one of Sensei's famous quotes?" Kai asked as the lunchlady filled his plate. "Or was it your dad?"

Lloyd smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I came up with it myself, actually."

Kai blinked for a moment, processing what the Green Ninja had just told him. "Are you sure you aren't a Sensei already?" He joked.

Lloyd chuckled in response. "Nah. I've actually thought about training to become a Sensei one day but...I'm kinda still working out what I'll do when I'm older."

The two ninja walked over to an empty table, trays in hand.

"Don't you ever want to just settle down, get married, start a family?" Kai asked as they sat down.

Lloyd raised a brow. "I...I really don't know. I guess I've never thought of spending the rest of my life doing anything other than my duties as the Green Ninja. I enjoy being a ninja quite a lot, and I guess I just never considered any other life." The Master of Energy looked down at his plate as he played around with his food.

Kai sighed.

Why was this kid so _innocent?_

After a long pause, Kai spoke. "Where's the rest of the _team_?" It almost hurt him to say it.

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders as he continued eating. "Last I heard, Cole and Jay skipped breakfast to do _something,_ whatever that is. As for my dad, he's probably meditating somewhere or something."

Kai simply nodded as he too began eating his breakfast.

Over the loudspeaker, Chen announced, "For today's match, we will have two Elemental Fighters battling it out in the palace arena! These two competitors already have a bad case of _bad blood_ towards each other, and this match may finally put that to rest."

Lloyd's eyes widened.

"Please make your way to the arena... _Jay,_ and _Cole!"_

* * *

 **Hey guys. Yes, I know, a new story!**

 **This will be a multi-chapter story revolving around the Tournament of Elements, but in a more realistic and different way. This means more fights, more secrets, more possible love interests (?) and of course, more nonstop ninja action! I hope you guys enjoy this story just as much as do, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

 **~EB**


	2. Chapter 2: The Fight Before the Battle

Out of the two ninja, Jay was the one who freaked out the most after Chen revealed that him and Cole would be fighting _each other._ Sure, he and the Earth Ninja hadn't been on the _best_ terms these past few months, but he didn't want to hurt Cole. After all, they were friends. Right?

Cole, as always, kept much more quiet than his teammate, but everyone could tell by his upset expression that he wasn't feeling much better about the situation.

"Chen is really, _really_ starting to tick me off," the Black Ninja groaned.

As the other Elemental Fighters snickered behind them, Kai rested a hand on Cole's shoulder. "Hey, man, look. Its just a fight. What's there to worry about?"

Jay, obviously quite triggered, lashed out at Kai, looking as if he would tear his own hair out. "I knew it! You're siding with _him._ Figures that you'd choose him over me."

Cole rested his hands on his hips, glaring at the Lightning Ninja. "You're only ticked off because Kai never supported you and Nya being together."

"He can't support it if _someone_ hadn't prevented it from where happening, _Cole._ " Jay's eyes narrowed as he walked off.

"Yeah, keep running, Jay!" Cole shouted back as he watched Jay walk off. "Just keep walking away from your problems, just like you always do!"

Jay instantly stopped walking as those words spilled from Cole's mouth. With his back still turned, the Lightning Ninja slowly ignited pure white embers from his gloved hands. These embers instantly became orbs of pure electric power, and they emmited a loud, piercing crack sound with every movement.

"That's the thing about walking away, Cole..." Jay started. "No one expects me to come back!" He whipped around quickly, holding out his fisted hands towards Cole, and the energy burst from them.

Cole felt the lightning shock his body for only a moment, before it dissipated. Cole gritted his teeth as his own element sparked in his gloved palms. He took a few steps before launching off of his feet and into the air. Before Jay had time to react, Cole flew right towards him, knocking the Lightning Ninja hard in the stomach.

"Ah..." Jay moaned as he attempted to stand back up. "Hey, hey, that wasn't very nice..."

Cole landed another blow to Jay's right arm, knocking him back once more.

Surprisingly, it slightly hurt when Cole's fist made impact with Jay's arm. Sure, Cole was much more strongly built, but Jay's own body had been hardened by years of intense training. Even so, Cole had the upper advantage over Jay. And Jay wasn't happy about it.

The two ninja each exchanged several blows and kicks. Some were quickly blocked or dodged, others...not so much.

"Guys, stop!" Lloyd exclaimed, grabbing Cole's fist just before it could make impact with Jay's face.

"Let me go, Lloyd!" Cole exclaimed as his arm forced itself against Lloyd's own strength. The ninja who was the strongest physically found himself on common ground against the strongest ninja elementally. With every push, with every force, Lloyd fought back with almost equal strength, managing to pin both of the Earth Ninja's hands behind his back.

Kai had managed to barely contain Jay's lighting-fast rage, but he kept the Blue Ninja at bay for now.

"Look at yourselves," Lloyd groaned. "You're acting like wild animals towards each other! I thought we came here to make our team whole again, not to get at odds with each other."

"This started long before we lost Zane, Blondie," Cole grunted, still fighting against Lloyd's hold.

"May I remind you of what _stupid_ thing you're fighting over?" Lloyd continued. "A _girl_ , who may not even be interested in _either_ of you at the moment. Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"

The Earth and Lightning Ninja took a quick glance at each other before looking down at the floor shamefully.

"I-I'm sorry, Jay," Cole started. "That was totally unprofessional of me..."

"No, no...its my fault. I'm the one who lashed out first."

"There," Kai huffed. "Now that you have settled your differences, maybe you can spend your time actually preparing for the fight."

"Oh," Jay chuckled. "Yeah, I guess Kai's right. I, uh...I'll see you guys at the arena later...good luck, Cole."

"You too, Bluejay."

* * *

Lloyd was examining the brackets when he sensed a presence behind him. He turned to face the person, only to find out it was Skylor. He had seen her the first time on the boat when Karloff attempted to swipe away her cloak, and Kai had tried to intervene, only to make matters worse.

"Hey," Skylor piped up, "Lloyd, right?"

Lloyd nodded with a smile.

Skylor smiled back. "What are you up to? This whole week you've looked like you're lost in another world."

Lloyd cocked his head slightly. Had he made it that obvious? Or was Skylor just extremely perceptive? Either way, she knew.

"I guess I just have a lot to think about," Lloyd admitted. He hoped this was a satisfying answer for the orange-clad girl. After all, he hardly knew her, or how dangerous she could be. Not to mention, he had no idea if he could trust her.

"Oh, yeah, me too," Skylor sighed. "Being around so many other elemental masters...its kinda strange, y'know?"

"Uh...sure?" Lloyd felt rather uncomfortable at the moment, and wondered what Skylor was really here for.

"So, uh..." Skylor played with her hair. "Kai's cute. What's the story on him?"

"Dude, that's my brother!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I know." Skylor smirked. Then she leaned in close. "Can you put in a good word for me?"

Lloyd sighed.

After taking a glance at the large clock on the wall, Skylor extended her hand. "Well, I gotta go. Friends?"

For some reason, Lloyd hesitated from shaking her hand. Something just felt...off.

So instead, he just waved, and she walked off. He couldn't help but notice the frustrated look on her face. Something was _definitely_ off about Skylor. Kai needed to know about this.

"She's an interesting character, isn't she?" An all too familiar voice spoke from the other end of the room. Lloyd smiled as he greeted his father.

"Hey, dad. How was your meditation?"

Garmadon huffed. " _Dreadful_. Chen's insolent henchmen wouldn't stop hammering on my wall to put a picture up. I mean, it wasn't even a nice picture! I can't meditate with all that pounding on the wall!"

Lloyd held back a laugh for a moment. Then he failed.

"What's so funny?" Garmadon asked playfully, just before he laughed along. "Its not nice to laugh about the daily trials of your elders."

Lloyd smirked. "Dad, can I ask you a question?"

Garmadon nodded with a kind smile, wrapping an arm around his son. "Of course, son. Anything."

"How do you get along with people who you constantly feel like you can't trust?"

"Why do you ask this, son?"

"Because that's exactly what I'm feeling right now."

* * *

Cole walked slowly into the arena, trying his best to ignore the screaming crowd. By that, I mean the dozens of cultists and a dozen or so Elemental Fighters. He locked his olive green eyes with the piercing blue ones of his opponent. He watched his opponent summon his element into his hands, and Cole did the same.

There was a long, awkward silence.

And then Cole struck at his opponent.

* * *

 **Aaaaand done! New chapter up! Yay for daily updates! Just kidding- don't count on this always happening, I just couldn't wait to continue this story!**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Thanks! You've always been a great supporter of my stories, and I applaud you for that.**

 **rbrill345: Ah, you will have to see in the next chapter how that fight turns out! Thanks for reading!**

 **Rainbowaly03: Well, hello there, young lady. I don't believe I've seen you in these parts before. TOTALLY haven't sent over 100 PMs to you or anything...TOTALLY. Thanks for the review.**


	3. Chapter 3: Earth Against Lightning

Lloyd had experienced many battles, far more than most teenagers his age could ever experience in a lifetime. His battles with his father, his battle with the Grundle, and, of course, his "Final Battle" with the Overlord.

But experiencing a battle didn't always mean being a part of it.

It also meant watching it.

And this battle in particular was one that Lloyd found very hard to watch.

Jay and Cole, two ninja who had just been the best of friends a few months ago before the whole Nindroid thing started with the Digital Overlord, were now the worst of enemies and duking it out in the arena for all to see. Lloyd could tell neither of them necessarily wanted to _hurt_ each other. Well, maybe that did, but not to the extent of seriously injuring one another.

Or at least, Lloyd hoped.

 _Hope_ , Lloyd thought. _Something that this Tournament is very short of. It only seems to create larger problems._

And yet, just as he had told Kai earlier that day...

 _"If I have no positivity, I have no peace. If I have no peace, I cannot have hope. And without hope, I am nothing."_

Lloyd sometimes hated himself for being right. He needed to find the good in this fight, lest he be a hypocrite.

But what good was there in two best friends fighting each other?

* * *

On the battlegrounds below, Cole landed a strong punch towards Jay, who barely blocked it with his right arm. Jay flipped over Cole in a swift move, then sending a swift kick at Cole's back, slamming him against the cold, stone wall.

"Ooh!" A rather excited and amused Chen jeered from his throne. "This fight _really_ butters my biscuits! I was almost worried that they would refuse to fight each other, but this has arguably been the best fight I've seen yet! What do you think, Clouse?"

Clouse responded in nasally, monotone voice, "It is quite amusing to watch, Master."

"And it looks like you won't even need to intervene with your magic!" Chen laughed.

Cole grunted as he turned around to face his blue-clad opponent. He cracked his neck to the side a little, gritting his teeth behind his black bandana. As Jay sent a beam of lightning at him, Cole executed a perfect back flip right over the concentrated energy, causing the lightning to simply strike the stone wall instead.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, Bluebell!' Cole jeered as he landed expertly on the ground.

"Oh, I'm just getting started, Dirtclod!" Jay shot back as he ran at Cole, sliding near the end, and in a swift motion, he wrapped his legs around Cole's, causing the Earth Ninja to stumble and fall hard on his stomach.

Jay swung his arm back to deliver another blow, just as Cole dodged it and whipped around to punch Jay in the forehead.

A loud "oooooh!" erupted from the crowd as everything on the battleground grew quiet for a moment, with Cole summoning his element into his hands and Jay clutching his forehead in pain.

Not a moment after, Jay growled loudly and charged right at Cole, only to be pushed back by several piles of dirt spewing from Cole's hands.

"Seriously?" Jay bantered as he summoned his own element into his hands. "I know you're the Master of Earth, but that's just playing _dirty!"_ The Lightning Ninja tried his best to ignore the large dirt stains all over his blue gi.

"Are you still cracking _jokes_?" Cole shot back, firing a large bundle of rocks at Jay this time.

Jay's eyes widened as the blast came right towards him, landing right in the stomach.

"Ah!" Jay grunted in pain. "Why do you have to have such a _painful_ element?"

"So says the Master of _Lightning!"_ Cole sneered. "I've hardly seen you even try to use your element!"

"Well, if that's what you want-" Jay quickly fired a beam of lightning at Cole, shocking the Earth Ninja before he had time to react.

"Me and my big mouth..." Cole grunted as he shook a little bit, brushing the rubble off his shoulders.

"Yeah? Well, the hits just keep coming!" Jay shouted as he sent a wild drop kick towards Cole, who quickly grabbed Jay's leg before he could make impact.

"Wha-hey!" Jay yelled as Cole swung him around as if he was light as a feather. With a light grunt, Cole swung Jay into the wall, actually creating a small crack in the stone.

* * *

"Yikes!" Kai exclaimed from the audience. "That has _got_ to hurt."

"I can't watch this anymore!" Lloyd stated as he lifted his mask over his mouth. "I have to get in there!"

Garmadon placed a strong hand on his son's shoulder. "No, son! They must sort this out on their own."

"Yeah, because I can totally see that happening soon," Lloyd grunted. He pulled away from his father's grasp. "I have to stop this before it goes too far." Ignoring his father's reprimands, Lloyd slipped onto the battleground.

"The Green Ninja?" Chen exclaimed with a jolt, almost spitting out his popcorn. "What is _he_ doing on my arena grounds? Someone get him back out!"

Lloyd quickly locked the gate before any of the cultists could get in after him, and turned to face his two fighting teammates.

Running up to them, Lloyd sent a small energy blast into the sky, erupting into a bright light that got hold of Jay and Cole's attention, as well as Chen's.

"Lloyd?" Cole almost yelled in a questioning voice. "What are you doing out here?"

"Ending this fight before it gets uncontrollable," Lloyd answered confidently, placing his hands on his hips. "Only one of you can get that jadeblade," Lloyd pointed to the shiny green blade on top of a pillar in the center of the arena. "But the true winners are those who put aside selfish wants and grudges for the good of their friends. If one of you is going down today, at least lose on peaceful terms with your opponent."

Cole and Jay slowly nodded.

"I'm sorry, Jay," Cole started. "This is _all_ my fault. I never should have gotten between you and Nya. It was rude, selfish, and most of all, a huge betrayal towards my _best_ friend."

"No, Cole," Jay sighed. "Maybe it was you're fault for getting between me and Nya, but its my fault for letting something so small put such a large hole in our friendship. I miss the times when we were such great friends."

"The best, right?"

Lloyd smiled. "You guys know what you have to do."

Cole and Jay nodded.

"Ah!" Chen snarled, getting out of his throne. "The Green Ninja is interfering with the fight! Since he has been obviously _cheating,_ he is therefore disqualified!" Chen pressed a button on his throne.

Lloyd, knowing what came next, jumped off of the floor tile he was on, just before it disappeared into the hidden trap door below. Several more tiles began to fall, and Lloyd soon found himself running out of room. Firing an energy blast at the fence, he jumped through the hole and back into the spectating area.

"Lloyd's right, Jay," Cole smirked. "One of us has to win, and one of us has to lose. Which one of us will it be?"

Jay sighed. "You take the jadeblade. You've earned it fair and square."

"But I got in between you and Nya. I was a _horrible_ friend. You'll have the best chance of seeing her again if you stay in the Tournament."

Jay jumped up to the pillar and grabbed the jadeblade, then throwing it to Cole, who caught it in his right hand.

"You won it, Cole," Jay sighed, yet a small smile grazed his features. "Even if I never see Nya again, I can rest well knowing that my best friend is still in this thing."

Cole sighed. "Jay..."

"Win this thing for me, buddy," Jay smiled. Soon as he said this, the tile underneath him gave way, and his figure instantly disappeared into the darkness.

"I sure will, Jay," Cole sighed. "I sure will."

* * *

 **Another chapter done! Yeah, I know, I'm updating this story like everyday. You can tell I have a lot of time on my hands, especially since I'm sick.**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Rainbowaly03: Yes, yes I did. And don't stress yourself over reviews lol. I love it even when you say a few words of feedback, because its always so sweet and thoughtful.**

 **SkyDreamer12: Thanks for that long paragraph of feedback! Reminds me of the days that I used to do that...oh wait, I still do that. Thanks for the suggestions as well!**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Haha, thanks. And yeah, Kai probably doesn't want to be on the business end of Cole's fist, even before he got the Earth Punch in DOTD, haha.**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	4. Chapter 4: Dark Secrets

Lloyd once again found himself in a heap of trouble as he exited the arena, with Cole and Jay's fight now over. Chen was _not_ happy that Lloyd had interfered with the fight, and had temporarily placed the Green Ninja on "board walk." This meant that Lloyd's fight would be at the far end of the first round, with added gimmicks to make it insanely difficult for Lloyd to win. However, none of the gimmicks would apply to his opponent.

Great.

Cole had his own problems to worry about. Just the knowledge that he was still in the Tournament while his best friend was possibly suffering under the wrath of Chen's goons was tearing him apart. He partially blamed himself for what happened.

Kai held in any of his thoughts on the subject, just as quiet as he had been the past few days. Lloyd had thought of inquiring his friend about the subject, but dismissed it, assuming it had something to do with Kai's fight with Ash the other day.

As for Garmadon...he was rather quiet, as usual. He also seemed deep in thought about something. This quiet was about to drive Lloyd insane.

Another part of Lloyd's board walk was that he had to clean all of the Elemental Fighters' rooms twice a week. This _really_ didn't help Lloyd's concentration or training.

As Lloyd was finishing up cleaning Tox's room, his eye caught something down the hallway.

 _Shade's room._

Lloyd didn't trust Shade one bit. His element was _way_ too similar to that of his father when he was evil, or even of the Overlord. As Jay had put it, Shade put off quite a _shade._

Eh, that was a bad joke anyway.

Lloyd took a deep breath before opening the door and entering into Shade's room. The first thing that triggered Lloyd's senses was the strong smell of smoke. This obviously meant that Shade ignored Chen's rules of no smoking in the guest rooms. Disregarding rules seemed like something Shade would do often.

The entire room gave off a brooding, dark feel that reminded Lloyd too much of his old room back in Darkley's. The walls were painted a dark gray, and the floors were made up of a black wood. Shade's bed was about the same size as everyone else's, but, as expected, it was covered with gray sheets.

Lloyd quickly set to work, throwing the sheets into the laundry basket beside him. The Master of Energy didn't want to be in such a brooding atmosphere any more than he had to. The sheets gave off the same strong scent of smoke, and Lloyd wondered if it was even worse than that of Ash, the _Master_ of Smoke. He never knew, of course, because Ash had been out of the Tournament for almost a week now.

After he was done with the sheets, Lloyd set to work on cleaning the mirror, as well as the one in the bathroom. While he washed the mirror in front of the bed, Lloyd spotted something sticking out from one of the dresser drawers.

 _A slip of paper._

Lloyd set down the wipe and grabbed the paper. It was littered with strange writing and language that Lloyd hadn't even seen before. This is when having a nindroid would _really_ come in handy.

Suddenly, Lloyd's eyes widened as he spotted one writing, or rather symbol, on the page that he recognized.

It was the symbol of the Overlord himself. Lloyd remembered seeing it before on the Overlord's Golden Mech, as well as on his clothing. Or whatever the Overlord called clothing.

Now that Lloyd thought about it, he remembered also seeing that symbol on Shade's belt.

 _Why would Shade even know what this symbol looks like?_

Lloyd took a small strip from the mirror wipes and drew a representation of the symbol, then folded it into his pocket. He would have to ask his father about this later. Or Zane, if they find him.

Lloyd quickly gathered all the cleaning supplies together, as well as the laundry basket, and headed out of the room in a hurry.

* * *

It had only been a day since Jay had been thrown into the dungeon after giving Cole the jadeblade. Sure, he was glad Cole could now stay in the Tournament, but that also meant that he would possibly stay in here forever. He might not even see _Nya_ again...

He wondered if Lloyd was right, if Nya wasn't interested in either of them anymore. If she didn't think Jay and Cole were immature before, she sure did now. He and Cole should have settled their arguments like men, not wrestling on the ground like wild animals. Jay wondered if he even had a _chance_ with Nya anymore.

Probably Jay's least favorite part about being down here was the outfit they had forced him to wear. Just a plain orange outfit with a series of numbers across the top right corner he shirt. It made him look like a common criminal, and orange _really_ wasn't his color.

Sitting in the darkness alone, he heard a faint voice from nearby, one that almost sounded familiar. After considering that it was coming from the other cell beside his, Jay climbed up to the peek hole in the wall.

At first, all Jay could see was two metal things chained to the wall. After a few moments of observation, the Lightning Ninja's eyes widened as he realized that they weren't just metal things.

It was _Zane_ and _Pixal._

"Guys! You're alive!" Jay exclaimed with a wide grin, waving to his metal friends.

Zane, who now seemed to be completely metal, and with glowing blue eyes, turned his head towards Jay, and raised a brow in confusion. "Do I know you?"

After noticing Jay's own confusion, Pixal sighed. "He's lost his memory, Jay. After rebuilding himself, someone abducted us and brought us here, which disrupted the memory transfer."

"Oh," Jay chuckled. "Well, its so good to see you guys again! How long have you been here?"

"About a month or two, I think," Pixal answered. "I stopped counting after a while."

"Well, just you wait, because I'm gonna find a way to bust all of us out of here," Jay smirked.

"I don't think that will be possible. You and Zane's chains are lined with vengestone, rendering your elemental powers useless. And I overheard one of the guards saying that Chen is going to take your powers soon anyway. And in even worse news, my power cells are almost depleted. Unlike Zane, I do need to be recharged every once in a while."

Jay chuckled. "Ah, don't worry! I used to do this with my lightning jet all the time to give it a boost." Jay shot a beam of lightning through the hole and towards Pixal, who gasped for a moment before her power cells refueled.

"How did you know that that would work?" Zane inquired.

"Heh heh," Jay laughed nervously. "I didn't."

* * *

Garmadon was meditating outside the palace when Lloyd ran up to him.

"What is it you need, son?" Garmadon asked calmly.

"I was cleaning Shade's room, and I found a slip of paper with _this_ symbol on it," Lloyd showed him the drawing.

Garmadon sighed. "I'm afraid I know that particular symbol all too well. But I do not have the slightest idea why Shade would have written it down."

"I think he's hiding something," Lloyd continued. "Something to do with the Overlord, perhaps. But I can't be sure."

Garmadon sighed, closing his eyes.

"If what you say is true, then Chen is the least of our problems."

* * *

 **Done! Three cheers for daily updates! Haha. This is becoming a goal for me at this point.**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Rainbowaly03: Maybe I should stop updating during school hours so you can stop getting in trouble, haha. Thanks for enjoying this so far.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Fighting scenes is something I quite enjoy writing, especially since not many people do it. Just envisioning it in my head gives me a clear picture of what this fight is like, and I try my best to put it into words in an interesting way. Thanks for the support!**

 **RandomDragon: Ah, it hasn't even begun to get interesting, my friend. Thanks!**

 **SkyDreamer12: Thanks! I think letting Cole stay instead of Jay made this story more unique, and I think that Cole would realistically win in a fight between him and Jay, even though it ended on peaceful terms. Thanks!**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	5. Chapter 5: A Chat in the Rain

Kai sat alone at night in the cold rain, feeling the freezing substance drip down his neck and into his now damp ninja gi. Chen had a little garden outside the rooms that had no roof, and this allowed the sun to shine inside on warm days.

This was _not_ a warm day.

Kai wasn't alone, but he wished he could be. Sitting in the tree in the center of the garden was Neuro, the Master of Mind. Just as always, the older Elemental Fighter had his eyes glued shut as he meditated in the rain. He looked so _peaceful._

Kai, however, was the opposite.

He had tried many of Sensei Wu's meditation methods over the years, but he never seemed to be able to get himself to stay calm. Sometimes he would stay awake all night, with his head swirling around with the same thoughts he had flooded his mind with weeks ago.

 _Why am I even still on the team?_

 _Do I mean nothing?_

 _Am I even valuable to the team?_

 _The Final Battle is over, so do any of us except for Lloyd even need to be ninja anymore?_

But Kai knew that last thought _had_ to be wrong. Maybe the Battle was over, but that was no reason to abandon Lloyd and leave him with all the responsiblities of being Ninjago's _only_ protector.

That would be unfair.

Still, Kai wondered if he should just leave the team after this was all over. But then again, did he ever rejoin the team after they lost Zane? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even acted like a part of the team since they had entered this dreadful tournament.

"Penny for you thoughts?" Neuro spoke suddenly, breaking Kai's train of thought.

Kai huffed, "You can already read my mind."

Neuro let out a light chuckle. "That's true. And, may I add, you're current thoughts are...quite depressing." Before Kai could speak, Neuro continued. "I didn't mean to pry, it was an accident that I heard. This tends to happen when someone is deep in wild thoughts."

Kai sighed. "You're gonna tell the other ninja, aren't you?"

Neuro shook his head and held up a hand. "Of course not. We aren't friends, but I also do not like to think of us as enemies either. We are both in this tournament for similar reasons, aren't we?"

Kai raised a brow. "I can't think of a _single_ similarity among the two of us."

Neuro gave a small frown. "You may say that you came here to find your friend, and that _may_ be a small part of it, but I believe you're here for the reason that you simply _don't care._ "

Kai stared a the ground as Neuro went on.

"I am here for that same reason. I may seem like I'm here for the glory, and _maybe_ I am in some ways, but the true reason I'm here is because, I have nowhere else to go. I don't know what to do with my life at this point. Can't you relate, Fire Ninja?"

Kai sighed.

 _He has a point._

"Yeah."

"The loss of your friend has caused you to question your purpose in life now, and you have no idea what to do now." Neuro sighed as well. "I have not been sure of my future for a while now. All of my family is gone, and the girl I loved was taken away from me..."

 _Dang,_ Kai thought. _And here I was thinking that_ _ **I**_ _have it rough..._

"I'm sorry," Kai muttered, his voice barely audible against the loud pattering of the rain.

"I'm sorry too," Neuro gave a light smile. "I may be the Master of the Mind, but I don't have much experience with what to do after terrible events happen. I'm sure you can say the same."

"Yeah."

"Well," Neuro stood up. "I have a fight to prepare for. Better than wallowing in my own sorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Kai repeated. "Good luck."

Neuro smirked before walking out of the garden. "I'm smart enough to know that _luck_ doesn't win battles."

* * *

Lloyd and Cole sat at a small table at dinner, a few rows away from the other Elemental Fighters. Kai was supposed to have shown up an hour ago, but still had not been seen.

"He's probably in his room again," Cole sighed, staring down at his plate. "The guy has been beating himself up over what happened to Zane for months. I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about him."

The Green Ninja nodded as he swallowed a spoonful of noodles. "Something Kai said to me last week..." Lloyd rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "After his battle with Ash, the Master of Smoke. Yes, that's right...he came to me and asked me something about how I was able to control my powers or something like that. He seemed almost...worried."

Lloyd thought back to his conversation with the Fire Ninja.

* * *

 _"Hey, Lloyd?" Kai asked as he ran up to his green-clad teammate._

 _Lloyd turned to face Kai. "Yeah? What's up?"_

 _Kai awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I was wondering...since you're the Green Ninja and all...you're kinda like one of the most powerful people in the world right now, right?"_

 _Lloyd looked surprised. He had never considered that he may be that powerful, but it could be true. "Yeah? Go on."_

 _Kai sighed. "So...how do you of all people contain it? How does it not push you over the edge every so often? Even after you became the Golden Ninja and got the power of the First Spinjitzu wMaster, you always seemed so...calm and contained. How do you control such infinite power?"_

 _Lloyd gave a small smile. "I never let it become infinite. Everything must have a balance. If we didn't have that, the world would be in chaos." Then he paused. "Why do you ask?"_

 _"Oh, it just happened to be on my mind.." And with that, Kai went running to the palace._

* * *

Lloyd sighed. "It seems to get worse and worse everyday. I try to help him, but he just shrugs it off and says he's fine. And trust me, after all the years I've known that guy, I think I'd know when he's lying."

"In other news," Cole started, gobbling down some more noodles, "you said something about a symbol in Shade's room?"

Lloyd nodded, sliding the piece of paper onto the table. "Look familiar to you?"

Cole's eyes widened. "I wish it didn't...why would Shade have that in his room?"

"I don't know," Lloyd sighed. "It was on a scroll with a ton of other symbols, but this was the only one I recognized. I asked my dad about it, but he didn't know anymore about it than the two of us. I _definitely_ think this has something serious to do with the Overlord."

"You think he and Shade might be related?" Cole offered. "Their elements are very similar. Maybe a nephew or something? A grandson?"

Lloyd groaned. "If that's the case, then we'll pretty much have the new Overlord on our hands. And since both of the ninja that defeated him before are pretty low right now, I don't think we'll stand much of a chance."

"Then we'll have to hope."

Lloyd sighed, staring down at the floor.

 _Hope._

They could _really_ use some of that right now.

* * *

"Pixal?" Zane asked wearily in the dark, looking over at his female metal companion.

"Yes, Zane?" Pixal asked, her voice rather weak as she was attempting to save up energy for her backup preserves. "What is it?"

"I don't know what is really going on right now, but I want to let you know that there isn't anyone else I'd rather be stuck here with."

If robots could blush, then Pixal would have been as red as a tomato. "Just as I would never want to be anywhere but here with you, my love."

* * *

 **Awwwwwww! I'm gonna say it. Pixane has ALWAYS been my favorite canon Ninjago ship. You're putting a super innocent and pure nindroid with a equally as pure and innocent robot and the combination is just too pure for this world! Ahhh!**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Rainbowaly03: Oh, trust me, that REALLY doesn't surprise me. You seem like the kind of girl. XD And yes, any Fanfiction will be more interesting than school xD Thanks, fam.**

 **Guest RandomDragon: Ah yes, it seems all of the ninja are having a pretty tough time currently. Hopefully SOMEONE can change that. Thanks.**

 **Guest: Yes, yes he does.**

 **rbrill345: Haha, glad this fic has made you happy. Thanks for enjoying!**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Ah yes, I always love a good mystery. Hope this chapter has also piqued your interest.**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	6. Chapter 6: Mysteries and Mailce

Garmadon walked briskly down the halls of Chen's palace as he continued in the direction of the throne room. Passing Elemental Fighter after Elemental Fighter, he never too his eyes off of his destination.

As he walked up to those large red doors, Garmadon took a breath before pushing them open and walking inside.

"Chen," Garmadon addressed his former Sensei, gaining Chen's attention. "We need to talk."

Chen turned from his current business towards Garmadon, and a wide grin grazed his features. "Ah, yes, of course, Garmadon! Please, sit down," Chen gestured to a table in the middle of the room. As the two elders sat down, Chen continued, "Even after you left to fight on _Wu's_ side during the Anacondrai Wars, I do still miss talking to you, my dear boy."

Garmadon folded his arms. "Last I remember, our final chat before I left all those years ago wasn't so enjoyable. You should know that you won't be able to butter me up like you did back then. Any ounce of respect I had for you all those years ago is now certainly gone."

Chen frowned. "Oh, get on with it! Why did you come and interrupt my work?"

Garmadon sighed, slipping the paper that Lloyd had given him onto the table. "My son found _this_ in the bedroom of one of your Elemental Masters. I'd assume you have something to do with this?"

Chen gawked, "I'd never! You and I both had very troubled pasts with the Overlord, and I would _never_ even think to spread rumors about him. Believe me, this Elemental Fighter is doing this on his own. How he got the symbol is beyond me."

"So you don't care that this could mean something even bigger than you think?" Garmadon countered. "We have thought _many_ times that the Overlord was gone for good, but he has proven time and time again that its going to take much more than we've given him to take him down for good." Garmadon's face turned stoic. "You can't honestly tell me that you aren't concerned about all this."

Chen sighed. "If what you say is true, and the Elemental Fighter who had this symbol has some sort of connection to the Overlord, then I suppose this is a troubling matter." Chen gestured around his palace. "For as much as we know it, the Overlord's spirit could be haunting these very walls! I understand what you mean, my former pupil. Very troubling..."

"Then what are you going to do about it?"

Chen sighed. "I very well cannot do _anything_ unless I know what Elemental Fighter is responsible for having this symbol in his quarters."

"It was Shade," Garmadon spoke slowly. "Shade, the Master of Shadow."

Chen nodded. "Well, I will have my sources look into this. I'd advise neither you or any of your ninja to conduct any form of investigation. I'm sure you'll only cause _more_ trouble. Now get out of my sight!" Chen waved him off.

Garmadon sighed as he stepped out of the chair and walked out of the Throne Room.

* * *

It was now day number 8 in Chen's dungeon and Jay had finally found a way to break out with Zane and Pixal. After the guard had dropped off Jay's "lunch", the Lightning Ninja had managed to snatch the keys as the guard walked off.

After waiting a few hours until the coast was clear, Jay unlocked his cell and quickly ran over to the next one. After scrambling to get the door open, Jay hurried inside.

There he saw Zane and Pixal huddled in a corner of the cell, shivering in the cold.

"Are you guys alright?" Jay asked, very concerned. "Since when do robots get cold?"

Pixal pointed a shaky finger at the cooling vent at the end of the cell. "Th-they t-turned it on s-so much th-that its m-messing with our processors."

Zane nodded. "I-it's j-jamming my r-rotors on a-all appendages."

Jay shook his head. "You poor nindroids! I'll get you guys out of here, don't worry." The Lightning Ninja supported Zane with one arm, while supporting Pixal with the other. "We don't have much time guys, so we have to move!"

Jay slowly but surely helped Zane and Pixal limp out of the cell and down the hall.

"Hey, do you hear that noise?" A faint voice yelled from another room.

Jay's eyes widened. "Uh oh! They'll catch us if we don't run! Come on guys, we have to work together to make this work! We have to act like a chain, so our movements must be in perfect sync. Move one my word!"

Zane and Pixal nodded.

"One two three four, one two three four, one two three four," Jay repeated over and over as the three of them quickly moved in the same fashion.

Just as they reached the end of the hall, a pair of cultists ran up and blocked their path, just as another pair ran up behind the three escapes.

"We're boxed in!" Pixal exclaimed. "Neither me or Zane are in any shape to fight."

"On the contrary," Zane began, activating a mechanism on his right arm. "I find a way to make myself useful." Instantly, his hands projected an array of explosive shurikens that blew up on impact with the cultists behind them.

"Haha, there ya go, Zane!" Jay exclaimed enthusiastically. The Lightning Ninja then shot a beam of lightning at the rest of the cultists, knocking all of them down. "Just _shocking,_ isn't it?"

As more guards approached, Zane fired a chunk of ice at one of the cultists. "Now that joke was just _cold._ "

Pixal mentally facepalmed. "Boys..."

Just as they had taken down the cultists, a caped figure walked towards him, with his large staff in hand.

"Its Chen!" Jay exclaimed, firing his element down on him.

Chen grinned, and his staff glowed for a second as he used the power of Smoke to dodge the blast, then he reappeared behind Jay, knocking him down.

"That was Ash's power!" Jay exclaimed. "You stole it!"

Chen laughed. "Yes, and now I will take yours!" With a wave of his staff, Jay felt an invisible force tearing at him as his element was taken into the staff. Jay fell to the ground, and Chen laughed once more, turning to Zane.

"And you, Ice Ninja! Your rotors are shot, and you can't go anywhere, making my job that much easier!" With the same motion, he took the element of Ice into the staff, and Chen ordered the cultists to throw the two now powerless ninja, as well as Pixal, back into the dungeon.

* * *

Lloyd let out a furious grunt as he swung at Cole, who quickly grabbed Lloyd's fist with his own. Cole sent a series of strong punches at the Green Ninja, who just barely dodged the blows.

"Ah! I'm so bored of training!" Cole exclaimed. "We train all the time, and yet all the other Elemental Masters just hang out around the palace. Even Kai hasn't been training!"

Lloyd sighed. "Kai chose not to train, and that's his mistake. We need to be prepared for our upcoming fights. The first round is almost over, so you and Kai will have fights again very soon."

Cole took a breath, placing a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Look, Greenie, we need to talk."

The blonde rose a brow as he nodded his head slowly. "About what?"

Cole sighed. "Look, Lloyd. I know what you're trying to do, and I respect that. You're trying to keep the team from falling apart. There's nothing wrong with that. But after everything that's happened, I'm not really sure if we should still be a team after this."

"Why would you say that?" Lloyd asked slightly angrily, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm just saying that-"

"No!" Lloyd cut off the Earth Ninja. "You were the team's _leader_ before I came around. If anyone, _you_ are the one who believed the most in the idea of the ninja. In our _team._ I thought _you_ of all people would want to keep the team together."

"I do, but-"

"All I've been trying to do these past few months is help you guys get over what happened so we could be whole again. All I did was for the _team._ Wu believed in it, I believed in it...hey, even my _dad_ had to agree that we all made a good team. We saved Ninjago time and time again, and you're willing to just give it up?"

Cole stayed quiet.

"What happens when Kai quits the team? Or Jay? Or even Zane? Or me? Will it even matter?"

Cole sighed. "Here's hoping we all make the right choice."

* * *

 **Aaand done! It's getting pretty boiled now!**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: hmm I'm guessing you have a soft spot for Kai? He wasn't in this chapter, for reasons that will be explained in the next one. And yes, robot fluff is the best.**

 **Rainbowaly03: Eh, keep the long reviews coming haha. They brighten my day, trust me. Thanks so much for supporting my work, Rain. You're just too sweet.**

 **SkyDreamer12: Good theory. You're definitely onto something.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Thanks for the support!**

 **Guest: I second that motion.**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	7. Chapter 7: Nightmares and Phone Calls

_Nindroids can't dream._

That was what all of the ninja, including Zane, once thought many years ago. Perhaps it _was_ impossible for a nindroid to dream, but they certainly could have visions.

Or at least, Zane could.

He thought back to the "dream" he had back when Lloyd released the Serpentine. He had dreamed of the Green Ninja defending Zane from Garmadon, and the outcome had been in Lloyd's favor.

Zane wasn't sure if the Green Ninja was actually Lloyd in his dream, but just him imagining four key parts of the original ninja put together. That would explain the Green Ninja fighting with the Nunchucks of Lightning, having incredible strength, lighting his hand on fire, and the falcon perching itself on his arm.

Whatever the case, Zane had never had a dream - or vison - anything like that since. His dream had in a sense given the Ice Ninja a glimpse into the future, sort of like what Sensei's spirit smoke achieved. But it had felt so _real._

Now, Zane found himself in another dream, or vision, or whatever it was. This one was very much real to the titanium-shelled Nindroid.

He had experienced this dream twice before, each time was also while he sat in Chen's dungeon. Each time was slightly different.

The first time, he had imagined himself in a blinding blizzard, with snow and ice all around him. There was almost no light, as the snow covered the entire atmosphere. A large ice dragon had pounced on Zane, becoming a threat that Zane couldn't see due to the blizzard. All he could do was sit there in agonizing pain as the dragon attacked him fiercely.

The second dream had also been a nightmare. Zane could clearly see his surroundings, but his feet were glued to the ground as he was forced to watch the ice dragon attack his friends. He had woken the next morning in a cold sweat.

Now this dream was different.

Zane found himself once again facing the Overlord in his Golden Master form. It was just like that day had taken place, with Zane still human-looking and in his Stone Armor. Around him were Lloyd, Kai, Cole, and Jay, as well as the two Sensei behind them.

 _ **"You are powerless!"**_ The Overlord's raspy, shrieking voice surrounded Zane, as did the other ninja. Suddenly, am of Zane's surroundings turned pitch black, and several floating figures appeared before him.

"How could you leave us?" Kai asked, clearly heartbroken.

"We could have found another way to defeat him, you didn't have to die!" Cole exclaimed.

"You didn't even say goodbye!" Jay shouted.

Then there was Lloyd, Wu, Garmadon, and Misako standing in front of a tall metal statue in the park. It was after a few moments that Zane realized that it was a statue of himself.

Darkness swirled around Zane as the Overlord's shrill laughter boomed in his ears. The nindroid felt a darkness fill his very self as everything got darker, and darker, and darker.

Until the ninja were gone, until _he_ was gone, and all that remained was the void nothiness and the remainder of the Overlord's voice ringing in Zane's voice.

 _ **"You'll never be the same..."**_

Zane woke in a cold sweat once more, and felt the sorrow fill himself. Pixal was still in sleep mode, and he thought best not to wake her. So he sat alone for countless hours, letting his mind flood over with thoughts of his dream.

* * *

Lloyd woke uneasily, knowing that today was not only his fight with Camille, the Master of Form, but also the final fight of the first round. He quickly changed from his sleepwear into his tournament gi. Taking one last glance at a certain photo on his bedstand, he walked out of his room.

 _Maybe some breakfast would help clear my thoughts._

Breakfast was rather simple. A piece of toast and some orange juice.

Kai and Cole were seated together at one table, while Lloyd sat with Camille. He kinda hated doing this, but he needed to settle terms with his opponent before the fight.

At first, Camille scrunched her nose as he sat down at her table, and ran a hand through her unusually bright purple hair. "What do you want?"

Her tone confirmed Lloyd's theory that she was a blunt, rude type of person, which he had guessed from seeing how she treated the other Elemental Fighters. "Can I not get to know my fellow Elemental Masters?"

"Elemental _Masters?"_ Camille scoffed. "Is that what you ninja call yourselves? Masters of _Spinjitzu,_ right? That may go for you, but everyone else here is there own person, unknowing where to go, or who to trust. Therefore, we are _fighters_ , not masters. None of us are interested in spending hours a day training our elements. Seems like a waste of time."

Lloyd shrugged. "Maybe _training_ is why me and the other ninja have been beating all of you so easily."

Camille was taken back for a moment, before scowling at the Green Ninja. "I never thought of you as someone who roasts people so easily."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Roast? The only thing I'm _roasting_ is you in today's fight." Lloyd wasn't sure _why_ he was putting up with this, but he was sure having fun with this.

Camille was once again taken back. "Is that a challenge? I'll _destroy_ you, Pipsqueak."

Lloyd was used to people pointing out his technical age, but his mind had been forced to quickly catch up with the rest of him, and he was more than mature enough now to lead the ninja.

 _Well, technically you were just roasting Camille,_ Lloyd scolded himself. _Real mature._

With a sigh, Lloyd turned his attention back to the Master of Form. "Look, I don't want us to end our fight on sour terms. I was thinking-"

Camille cut him off instantly, standing up out of her seat and completely forgetting about the Green Ninja seated in front of her. She waved over to one of the other female Elemental Fighters.

 _The Master of Poison,_ Lloyd thought to himself as he watched the green-haired girl walk over to the table. _Tox, was it?_

Tox walked over and looked from Camille, to Lloyd, and then back to Camille. "Are you two...having breakfast...together?"

Camille almost spit out her orange juice. "What?! No! In fact, he was just _leaving._ " She stared scowlingly at Lloyd. "Move it, Grass Stain."

Lloyd didn't want to feel the frustration of giving up his seat, but he knew better than to start more problems. He slipped out of the seat, meal in hand as he gestured to Tox.

"By all means, go ahead," he faked a smile as Tox quickly took his seat without a second thought, and the two females immediately forgot about the blonde.

As Lloyd walked away, he felt his eyes roll as the two girls giggled and chatted away behind him.

 _Camille has purple hair, and Tox has green hair,_ he laughed to himself. _Does any female Fighters here even have natural hair colors?_

* * *

Kai hurried down the hall to Chen's throne room, a mission at hand. As he opened the large red doors, several cultists instantly surrounded the Fire Ninja, each armed with very long, and _very_ sharp spears.

Chen huffed, as he he waved his hand to the guards. "No, no! Leave him be, for heaven's sake! That is _not_ how we treat our guests!"

The cultists instantly stood down, walking away.

Chen smiled, gently stroking his short, black beard. "Ah, Kai, my good boy! What can I do for you? Are you settling well?"

Kai folded his arms, staring straight at Chen with a determined look. "I'm _settling_ fine. I just want to use a phone to call someone overseas."

Chen raised a brow. "And who would that be, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I want to call my sister," Kai responded almost instantly. "I haven't spoken with her in weeks now, and she probably doesn't even know I'm here..." _Wu and Misako probably don't know where we are either,_ Kai thought. _They must be worried sick_.

"Well, we do not usually allow cellular usage at these type of events, but I can probably make an exception for you, my dear child."

Kai nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Chen. Will I talk to her later?"

"Oh no!" Chen exclaimed. "You can call her right now, just use my phone." He dug into his pockets and he pulled out a BorgPhone a moment later. "Onion Dip!" Chen yelled, gesturing to one of the cultists. "Hand this to the Fire Ninja."

The cultist walked up nervously. "Actually, its Kapau-"

"I don't care!" Chen flipped out. "You can be Captain Stupendous Man for all I care! Just take the phone!"

"Y-yes, sir!" Onion Dip - er, Kapau - quickly grabbed the phone and handed it to Kai.

Kai nodded his thanks as he dialed Nya's number.

"Oh, and Kai?" Chen continued.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be long."

* * *

 **Done! Sorry, it's been a few days, but Christmas took over my life the past few days lol. I'm hoping to get back into frequent updates, especially since I still have a week off of school.**

 **As for reviews:**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Oh yes, the pressures of being the leader are the least of Lloyd's worries. He has much more darker things to worry about. Chen is actually a pretty good deceiver, as long as he's able to get you wrapped around his finger. Yes, Pixane is beautiful. Jay and Cole are actually tied for me as well, haha. And yes, your hunch about Garmadon may be even closer to the truth than you think. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Rainbowaly03: Oh trust me, even Lloyd is feeling the tension and separation nag at him. Things will only get worse from here. Possession proved though that by the time Season 4 was over, the ninja were still very unwary of how to function as a team without him, especially since he was the one who struggled to keep the team together in the first place. Thanks!**

 **RandomDragon: Oh, Chen is ALWAYS up to something, trust me. In due time, all will be revealed...**

 **rbrill345: We all send our get-well cards to Kai, my friend. We all do. And as for Shade? That guy has more problems than a college math textbook. He has many secrets that will be revealed soon...**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	8. Chapter 8: It Gets Darker

The phone rang several times before Kai heard a faint _click_ as his sister received the call.

 _"Hello? Who is this?"_

Kai grinned. "Ah, didn't Mom ever teach you how to properly answer a phone?"

There was a long gasp over the line, and Nya spoke almost in a yell.

 _"Kai! Oh, I've missed you so much! I miss you, and Jay, and Cole, and Lloyd, and even Garmadon...I feared the worst!"_

"Yeah, sis, don't worry. We're all okay. We're safe, at least, for now."

 _"But where are you? The Bounty is almost finished with repairs, I can swoop by and pick you guys up!"_

Kai took a glance at the still her much present Chen seated at the other side of the room.

"That may be a problem, sis. We'll have to head home on our own.

 _"What? Why? Are you somewhere where the Bounty can't land?"_

Kai sighed, rubbing his nose. "It's...complicated, Nya. I'm sorry, but I'll see you soon. Tell Misako and Sensei that we're alright. We should be back in a few weeks, maybe sooner."

 _"What? No, Kai, stay on the line!"_

"See you around, Nya. I love you, sis."

 _"Kai! You keep yourself on this line! You hear me? Don't hang-"_

The line went dead.

Kai was once again alone. He needed to see Lloyd and Cole.

Kai found his fellow ninja training in one of the empty arenas outside the palace. This was the same arena that Cole and Jay had faced off in only a few days ago. It didn't seem to bother the Master of Earth much, though. His complete focus was on training.

Kai wished he had that kind of focus.

After delivering a drop kick to Cole, Lloyd spotted the Fire Ninja out of the corner of his eye and waved him over, and the spar was put on pause. "Hey, Kai, everything alright?"

Kai shrugged. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Lloyd sighed, walking over to Kai and led him to a corner of the arena, where he thought it would be best. "I know you too well, Kai. You've been lying to us since we got on this island. If you wanted some help or someone to talk to, you should have just asked."

Kai frowned. "Its...complicated. You wouldn't understand." The Red Ninja attempted to walk away, but his green-clad friend blocked his path.

 _Why is this kid so stubborn sometimes?_ Kai thought to himself.

But not even a moment later, Kai realized he was being equally as stubborn.

"Lloyd, I can take care of myself. Leave me be."

Lloyd folded his arms crossly. "Kai, I _know._ "

"What?"

"I _know_ what's going on. Its quite evident that you're struggling with everything that's happened these past few months. Zane's sacrifice, the team disbanding..." Lloyd ran his fingers through his own blonde hair. "You blame yourself."

Kai stood there silent for a few minutes, and was frustrated to find that Lloyd wasn't doing anything either.

"I said I'm _fine,_ " The Fire Master spoke roughly, gritting his teeth as he pushed past Lloyd and ran off. As he ran to to the palace, Kai could once again hear the sound of Lloyd and Cole sparring.

Hours went by, and the time had come for the final fight of the first round. Chen was ecstatic, and Lloyd had trained hard up for this moment.

"Finally," Chen announced. "The first round is almost finished, and the next round is right around the corner! For today's match we have Camille, Master of Form, versus Lloyd, Master of Energy. Everyone meet at the Thunderblade arena!"

Lloyd slightly cringed.

 _Thunderblade._

 _Oh, how much he wished he could forget that sport._

 _"Hey, Lloyd, did you hear the news?" Brad Tudabone shouted to his best friend from down the hall, running up to the blonde. "Darkley's is finally getting a sports team! We should totally join!"_

 _A currently 9 year old Lloyd Garmadon rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know...what sport is it?"_

 _"Thunderblade!" Brad announced ecstatically._

 _Lloyd rose a brow as if to ask his friend "Please explain."_

 _Luckily, Brad got the message. "Its a huge sport that involves skating around a_ _ **big**_ _track with your team's flag, and being the one to skate the most laps with your team's flag before the timer ends. The two skaters are the main competition, but everyone else can side with their teammate and gang up on the other team."_

 _Lloyd couldn't help but feel a light smile play at his young face. Skating. That could be fun._

 _"Sounds cool," Lloyd agreed, walking with Brad over to the bulletin board that had the white sign-up sheet attached. Several names were already plastered down the list, and Lloyd wondered how long this had been here._

 _"So, do you wanna join the team?" Brad asked casually, sipping from a box of juice that Lloyd knew was probably smuggled or stolen. That's just how things worked at Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys. 'Teaching the next generation to be darker, and more evil than the last.' That was their slogan after all._

 _Lloyd itched his chin for a moment, considering his options. "You know what? That actually could be pretty fun. Sign me up!"_

 _Brad smirked as he wrote both his and Lloyd's names on the sheet. "Now,_ _ **Lord Garmadon,**_ _" he spoke in a joking manner. "You have successfully joined forces with the most evil Thunderblade team in the world! Your evilness knows no bounds!"_

 _Lloyd snickered. "You aren't worthy," he joked back in a mocking voice, slightly resembling his father. "Soon, I will have all four Golden Weapons and will recreate Ninjago in my image! Then I will be the most powerful, and no one will stand in my way!_ _ **MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ _"_

 _"Did you come up with that yourself?" Brad asked, now acting normal._

 _"Nah, my dad used to tell my his plans all the time when I was younger. He would do this weird thing where he couple speak to me from the Underworld through the shadows, and it kinda creeped my uncle and my mom out. After they found out he was doing it, he stopped talking to me, and I haven't seen him since."_

 _"Oh."_

Lloyd tried to forget about those days at that rotten boarding school, but those painful memories still stuck close to him. Brad had really been the only upside to his time there, and even then, they didn't hang out as much as they would have liked.

Not even a week after Lloyd joined the team, his coach was treating him like garbage, and he was already the worst player on the team. Shortly after that was when Lloyd had been dubbed as "not evil enough" by his teachers, and was kicked out and left to scour through the streets by himself.

After that was when he had met the ninja, released the Serpentine, became the Green Ninja, and the rest is history. He had grown up a lot since then, but it felt like just yesterday that his coach was picking on him because he wasn't balanced enough. Now, Lloyd was arguably the most balanced of the _ninja,_ or probably right after Zane. If only Coach Nozbit could see him now.

And now, Lloyd was going to be forced to compete in a Thunderblade match with not only Camille and the other Elemental Fighters, but also with all the extra gimmicks that Chen promised to add after Lloyd interrupted Jay and Cole's fight. This would be hard.

As Lloyd strapped on the custom skates and helmet that Chen had provided for him, he realized that this match wasn't for the glory or some trophy that was probably fake. This match risked his entire place in the Tournament, as well as his team.

 **And done! Wow, I'm back to daily updates! Yay!**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Rainbowaly03: Beggars can't be choosers. This time you join the cookie losers! Eh, that was random. Out-dark me? Hmmm I smell a good challenge, my friend! Maybe it will convince you to write a oneshot again one day? Nah! You'd probably continue it as a 20+ chapter story anyway lol.**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Ah, yes, let us never forget our blessed brother Onion Dip...he died so young...glad to see another Zane fan reviewing!**

 **Guest: Hmmm we shall see how that turns out, trust me. Normally in the show, Tox is out by now, but in this story, only Karloff, Ash, Gravis, and Bolobo are out so far. So more friendship between those two females may be something you notice in chapters to come.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: I love your long reviews xD Well, half of it was talking about TLNM, and not my actual chapter, but y'know xD. Don't ever forget, kids. Robots CAN dream.**

 **RobinLost: As am I, good fellow. As am I.**

 **rbrill345: Yep! Onion Dip is an accurate word to describe what Chen thinks of people. Nightmares tend to real havoc on one's mind and soul, even with Nindroids. To be continued!**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Unfortunately, the phone call probably wasn't what you were hoping for, but a longer, more meaningful confrontation between the two siblings is bound to come. And yes, Chen enjoys wrapping you around his finger to get what he can from you. He CANNOT be trusted. Is Camille jealous of Lloyd? Undoubtedly. This will be explored in the next chapter. I will inform Zane that you wish to give him a hug, if I get the chance. I'm sure it's the thought that counts.**

 **Until the next chapter**

 **~EB**


	9. Chapter 9: Skates and Wounds

**(Lloyd's POV)**

If I didn't hate this day enough already, I sure do now. I haven't played Thunderblade, or even _worn_ skates, since back in Darkley's. This was for good reason, but knowing that I just spent _days_ training myself for a _fight_ just to be thrown into a skating competition...it kinda ticks me off.

Chen looks like he's having _way too much_ fun annoying everyone, especially me. Must be a Green Ninja thing.

"Welcome to the final match of the First Round!" Chen announced ecstatically, flailing his arms around. "As I said before, today's match will be an extra special round of...Thunderblade!"

I feel like facepalming at Chen's dramatic behavior, and I can tell by the expressions of some of the other Elemental Fighters, as well as Kai and Cole, that the feeling is mutual. Glancing down at the green skates on my feet, I wonder how I even got into this mess. Oh, that's right. I interfered with my friends' fight so they wouldn't kill each other. What a terrible person I must be.

"Alright, if everyone is ready, then head on to the track everyone! It's time for Thunderblade!" Chen announces, plopping himself onto his comfortable throne. Right, now I'm the opposite of comfortable.

My eyes close for a moment as I try to remember all of the skills that I learned all those years ago, back when I was on the team. That's when the voices come back.

 _"You're about the worst player I have ever laid my eyes on! A disgrace! Can't you be good at_ _ **anything?**_ _"_ My Thunderblade coach's booming voice rings in my ears, and I can envision the old track that I used to play on, with my teammates all standing around me with disapproving looks.

 _"When I heard that the son of_ _ **Lord Garmadon**_ _would be joining the team, I had hope you would bring some brute force to the team. But now I see you're just a child! Just another chicken!"_ Gene's snarky voice rings in my ears next, followed by the sound of all his teammates, including Brad, clucking like chickens in a direct mockery of me. It _hurt_ to have my team mocking me, but it _broke_ me to have the classmate who was _supposed_ to be my best friend joining along in the mockery.

I really had no friends back then.

A loud horn from the loudspeakers snaps me back into reality, and with that I find myself deep in the match, with Camille already gaining a good lead over me. The speed and power behind every movement I make causes me to have flashback after flashback, which doesn't exactly help my concentration.

I scan the area to find any other fighters who wear green skates and helmet, signifying that they are on my team. I spot Kai, Cole, Skylor, and Neuro all clad in green gear, while everyone else wears the orange gear, signifying that they are sided with my opponent.

 _Camille._

She seems not to bad of a person to be around, at least if you're on her good side. Her interaction with Tox this morning confirmed that. Unfortunately, I am _not_ on her good side, and she probably hates my guts.

Yay me.

As I catch up to Camille, I see Tox and Turner whispering something amongst themselves, and they nod their heads as they split off. This doesn't look good.

Before I have time to react, Tox has emitted a poison cloud, and Turner uses his speed powers to form it into a large tornado, firing it in my path.

I _**hate**_ today.

I quickly feel the fumes enter my lungs, and the green aura floods around me. My eyesight turns blurry for a few moments, and I can faintly hear Kai and Cole shouting my name. Soon, just as my balance threatens to break, I feel two arms grab me, and support my weight.

My vision begins to slowly recuperate, and I make the man supporting me out to be Neuro, who has a worried expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" He asks, clearly stressed. "Do you want to win this or not? Get in there!" And with a push from the Master of the Mind, I get back into the match.

* * *

 **(Kai's POV)**

Why did it have to be _skates?_ I _hate_ skating. I only have tried it before once, and that was on Nya's birthday a few years ago, and even then I was just being _nice._

Now _Chen_ on the other hand, I don't even have one reason why I should put up with this. I'm surprised none of the other Elemental Fighters have just dropped out. This match only risks the place in the Tournament for Lloyd and Camille, so it shouldn't matter whether or not we play along.

But, Lloyd is my friend, and my _brother._ I have more than enough of a reason to be in this thing. Now, if I _knew_ how to skate, that would probably make things easier.

I look ahead of me to see an all-too-familar redhead skating with perfect finesse, making it look so easy. Since I met Skylor, she has proved time and time again to perfect at _everything_. She may not be a ninja, but _dang,_ she can really fight with the best of us. Her fighting style resembles a pouncing tiger, and her personality is equally as firey.

She sounds too good to be true.

Augh! Get your head out of the clouds, stupid!

Just as I start to get my balance right on the skates, a quick blur of white and red slams into me, and the two of us fall to the ground hard. I groan, and I don't even have to look to know that the other Fighter on the ground is Griffin Turner.

The Elemental Master of Speed has dropped his sunglasses, and this is the first time I see his olive green eyes, which squint as his hands scramble around for his eyewear. "Dude! Watch where you're going!" He yells at me, obviously very ticked off.

I groan. "Me? Dude, I'm moving, like, a quarter mile an hour on these things! You're the one with super speed!"

* * *

 **(Lloyd's POV)**

I tighten my grip on the jadeblade I hold in my right hand as I speed down the track, once again trying my best to ignore the voices and flashbacks in my head. Camille is only a lap ahead of me, but there's only five minutes left on the clock.

I look around, noticing that almost everyone is currently using their elemental powers to their advantage in this match. I see Skylor skate up beside me, and she fires a beam of lightning towards Tox, who was about to strike me from behind.

"I have your back, Lloyd!" Skylor assures me, and I nod with graitiude.

Maybe Skylor isn't so bad after all. Dad told me a while back that she's the Master of Amber, meaning that she can copy any of the elemental powers, just as long as she makes physical contact with the Master of that element.

Still, I have my suspicions about her.

Cole skates up on my left, and nods to me as well, letting me know he also has my back.

Well, if everyone else is using their elements, then so can I.

I lock my hands on my chest, twisting slightly as a glowing orb of green light ignites between my palms, slowly growing larger and larger. Eventually, it forms a large spherical orb around me, and I feel my feet slowly rise up off of the ground.

Before I know it, I'm flying down the track, past Camille, and crossing the line once more. Now I'm on the same lap as Camille, and there's one minute left on the clock.

No pressure.

I speed past Kai, and he seems to have finally gotten the hang of it.

* * *

 **(Kai's POV)**

Yes! I finally figured out how to use these stupid skates! Now I can actually _do_ something! I look at the clock, and groan. Lloyd and Camille are tied, but its going to be a close call. I have help.

Igniting my fire, I blast Camille straight in the back, and she falls down with a _thud._ Oops. Maybe that was a bit _too_ much of a help. Either way, Lloyd is now ahead of her, and he only has half the track left if he wants to make it.

Suddenly, I hear a loud gasp fill the room and I look to see Lloyd slamming into a wall, breaking through and falling to the ground. As everyone looks around to see who shot him, it is impossible to tell.

"Who hurt him?" Cole shouts, very enraged.

We all gather around the fallen Green Ninja as Chen goes into full rage mode over the large hole in his wall.

* * *

 **Oh boy, its going down now. And YES, the second round will be more tournament fights, rather than the huntdown for Nya in the jungle. That honestly didn't feel like a tournament round, especially since they never actually fought each other, but actually split up. That will NOT be how this story goes, and this is especially where this story will get VERY different from the actual season. Yay.**

 **As for reviews:**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Haha, Season 4 was probably the best season for Nya. She wasn't all messed up with the love triangle from Rebooted, at least not as much as Jay and Cole. And she wasn't all "Hur dur, I'm independent" like she was in later seasons lol. And trust me, Lloyd's flashback doesn't end here! It will be continued, I assure you.**

 **Rainbowaly03: peanut butter? NEVER! Trust me, whether or not Lloyd loses, what this fight caused will still drastically affect the team.**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Like I said, the flashback will be continued. :) Kai is going through some pretty tough times right now, but you can bet that he wishes Nya was with him now. He's only keeping secrets from her for her own protection.**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Trust me, Nya is TICKED. She'll figure it out one way or another. As for Kai, he definitely will have his story continued.**

 **rbrill345: thanks!**

 **Finally, SkyDreamer12 commented on three different chapters to get caught up, so I'll try to respond to all of them in one reply lol.**

 **Skydreamer12: I'm really glad you're enjoying this story. As for your thoughts on an episode revolving around Lloyd's time at Darkley's, I think that'd be a great idea! Maybe it could be kinda like a short such as Wu's Teas was. Thanks!**

 **Wow, that was a lot of reviews! Thanks for the support, guys!**

 **With that being said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations

**(Garmadon's POV)**

I've seen a lot of pain in my life, as well as experienced it face to face tenfold. After being bitten by the Great Devourer as a child, I thought the pain couldn't get any worse. But then one thing led to another, and soon I was struck down into the Underworld by my own brother, being separated from not only him, but also my wife and newborn son.

It made me feel cold, and lonely. For 8 _years_ I was down there in the darkness, with no company but those irritating Skulkin Warriors. Being seperated from the people I love was painful, but seeing their own pain was _heartbreaking._

And now it was happening again. It's been only an hour since my son was blasted into the wall, and Chen's guards prevented me from seeing him, saying that Lloyd is in "good hands". Knowing, Chen, I don't believe those hands are going to be much help in this case.

Now I am storming down the Hall down to Chen's medical bay, ignoring all of the guards pestering me to stay in the rooms. I'm going to see my son, no matter what Chen thinks he can throw at me.

As I push past the doors, I can see that Kai and Cole are already here arguing with the "doctors". Chen is standing near the medical bed, where I can see Lloyd's strong form layed.

"Lloyd!" I exclaim, pushing my way over to the bed. Chen rests a hand on my shoulder.

"He is going to be alright, Garmadon. The blast may have done some damage on his body, but he will live."

"He will _**LIVE?**_ " I shout, shaking my former Sensei in a wild rage. "That's the best news? What are the injuries?"

Chen sighs, but I know his sympathy is fake. _Everything_ is fake with this man. If I was a betting man, I'd bet all of my money that his beard is fake.

"Look, Garmadon," Chen starts, his eyes shifting back to my son's sleeping form. "The blast caused major damage to the chest, more specifically the respiratory system and most everything around it. His arms and legs have several scars, he has two or three broken fingers, and we're pretty sure his spine is broken as well. But his heart..."

"What about it?" I nearly shout, and I would have had it not been for Lloyd's current state.

Chen continues, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" I exclaim, knowing the risks.

"His elemental power is like none other I know of...it's essentially his life force, handed down from the First Spinjitzu Master, your father. When he was weakened by the blast, it weakened his power, and that caused him to become decrepit. We tried our hardest to heal his body but...the damage may be fatal..."

"I thought you said he was going to live!" By now I had grabbed Chen by the shirt, my teeth gritted in rage.

"He _might_ live..." Chen gave a nervous chuckle as he slowly backed away, only to bump into the wall behind him.

I must control myself...

For all I know, Chen probably isn't even to blame for all of this.

Whoever shot my _son_ has got one thing coming.

* * *

 **(Lloyd's POV)**

I can't see.

Everything is...dark.

I can hardly feel my hands as I shakingly raise them up to my face.

My skin is pale.

I open my mouth to call out for someone - _anyone_ \- to come to my aid. But nothing comes out. Not even a small squeak comes out as I struggle to speak, but my eyes slowly open and I realize that I have bee sleeping.

Or have I?

Just like as I saw a moment ago, my skin is quite obviously pale, and I feel a deep pain in my chest and in my side. As I try to sit up, I feel a long rupture in my spine, and I fall back with a scream.

What has _happened_ to me?

By now, I can make out a few figures huddled around me. Kai, Cole, Dad...even Chen seems nervous. Or is it worried? Too close to call.

I try to recall the last thing I remember before losing conciousness. I was skating...on the track. I was on the final lap...

And someone _shot_ me with their element.

I remember crashing into the wall, and hitting my head on the hard floor, which probably was what caused me to lose consciousness. I must have been sleeping for a while...

* * *

 **(Cole's POV)**

How could this have happened?

 _Who_ could have _caused_ this to happen?

Kai looks about as frustrated and angry as I am, but Garmadon looks like he may just blow up any minute now. Chen isn't exactly helping the current situation either, but at least Lloyd seems okay.

I think he's woken up...

He doesn't seem to be able to speak very well, and anytime he attempts to, a hoarse croak comes out, nothing else. His injuries seem to be very serious, and something in me seems to have lost hope that he can even function as our leader for a while after this...or ever.

It's times like this that I wish Jay was here, and Zane. We were always so much _stronger_ as a team, all five of us.

 _Five._

Now, we've been stuck with only three for about a week now, and we may as well be considered a two now. Lloyd was doing the right thing with trying to bring the team back together after what happened with Zane. It must have broke his heart to see us fall apart.

The team was what brought him into the light, what truly changed his perspective on life and balance. He went from wanting to follow in the footsteps of _Lord Garmadon_ to becoming the Green Ninja because of the _team_ and the influence and foundation it built on his life.

And after that team broke apart, I'm not surprised he tried so hard to hold it together.

One kid holding together an entire team...

I should have been on his side since the beginning. What he said was true - I should have been not only a better teammate, but also a better former leader. Before Lloyd came along, I was the one doing the exact same thing he was attempting to do these past few months.

Did I completely _forget_ all of those morals I had back then?

Did I turn my back on all that is truly important? For the team?

Either way, I hope Lloyd recovers from all of this. We've lost one member of our team, and we're not giving up on another.

* * *

 **(?'s POV)**

The shot was all too _easy._

That pathetic Green Ninja had meddled into things he _never_ should have. He was in the way of my plans, and I simply needed a swift execution. Sure, it may not have been an instant kill, but that's not how I do things. I let them have a slow, painful death, effecting not only him, but as many people close to him as possible.

As soon as the Green Ninja is out of the picture, the ninja will lose hope and structure, and all of them will fall like dominoes.

They all have their weaknesses, even the metal one. And as soon as I exploit them, they will fall right into my hands.

Beware, Ninja. _**Your extinction comes soon.**_

* * *

 **Done! New chapter, guys! As you know, most schools have ended their Christmas break and have gotten back into school days, just as mine did yesterday. Today was the second day of the post-Christmas school period, and I even have quarterly exams starting in a few weeks. Hopefully, this will not interfere with my update schedule, but as you know, school is unpredictable.**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Rainbowaly03: Yes, POVs are fun! And uh...they WERE easy actually so...yeah. XD And fishsticks, I forgot a peanut butter reference lol. I'll try my best next time, fam!**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Thanks so much! And don't worry about the length of your reviews, even the slightest "Cool!" Is enough for me! Thanks!**

 **Zena 1421: Trust me, it is coming!**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: yep, Lloyd is having difficulty being an honorable warrior in a tournament full of rebels and selfish fighters. And keep thinking, I'm sure you'll figure out the mystery!**

 **Guest: You and me too, man.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: We talked in PM's a bit, but yeah, Kailor may be** _hinted_ **in this story, but I have no real reason for it to be necessary for this story lol. So it may not even happen, who knows. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Huginn: thanks so much!**

 **SkyDreamer12: Don't worry about being on time for updates! I'm just glad you enjoy them! And if spotlight around those particular ninja is what you're looking for, you're in the right place!**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	11. Chapter 11: Future Foundations

**(Kai's POV)**

I shift uncomfortably in the chair I have sat down in just a few hours ago. It's lonely and quiet right now in the med bay, especially since Lloyd has yet to wake up, and Cole is also snoozing away on one of the extra medical beds. Not because he's injured, but because he can't stand sleeping in a chair.

Neither me nor Cole wanted to leave the med bay while Lloyd was still fast asleep, and with no one to watch over him. We formed a conclusion that the both of us would stay up all night long in order to keep a watch over our green-clad leader, but obviously Cole had failed that bet.

That goofball owes me a dollar in the morning.

The entire room is dark, save for a single light next to Lloyd's bed. The shards of light graze lightly across the Green Ninja's tired face, and I once again am questioning why I feel the need to stay awake at this point. The kid is perfectly fine.

But then again, what if the attacker showed up again to finish the job? What if he or she sneaks in and kills Lloyd in his sleep, and I'm fast asleep in the chair and am completely unhelpful?

Once again, the worrying returns, and once again, I force my eyelids to stay open. I don't wanna lose Lloyd too.

I _can't_ lose him too.

For the next several hours until the sun came out from beyond the large hills, I sat alone, troubled by my haunting thoughts.

Now I find myself scolding my own selfish thoughts these past few weeks. I've been questioning whether or not I should even still be on the team, and never have I realized that in leaving the team, I'd be inflicting the same hurt on the team as Zane's death did. I should remain on the team, not only because I have nowhere else to go, but because the team is my _family,_ and I would never want to hurt them.

All five of us were, and should remain to be five different key pieces to an amazing team. Cole is the muscle, and yet also the softie that holds the team together strong like rock. Or at least, he used to.

Jay is the lighthearted spirit of the team, and the one who truly forms a smile on our faces when we couldn't find a thing to be happy about in dark times.

Zane was the brains, and the cool-tempered one of us, and probably the wisest, that always is able to see the bigger picture, and we loved him all the same.

Lloyd is, as we refer to him often, "the kid", but at this point, that name doesn't suit him very well anymore. He has become such a strong leader and foundation for this team. If we didn't have him, I don't know where we'd be.

And me? I may not be sure yet, but I know that my presence in the team is equally as important. If just one piece of the puzzle is taken away, that bigger picture can never be whole again. Or at least, not until that piece is put back in the right spot.

And if Zane is truly alive, and we find him, we may be able to put that puzzle back together.

But I sure am going to have to knock some more sense into myself.

I take another glance over at the Green Ninja's sleeping form and realize that it may be too late. This kid- this _leader_ \- may not make it.

But, if we are still that team he wants us to be, we won't give up on him.

Ninja never quit, and ninja never quit on eachother.

We're all in this together.

* * *

 **(Jay's POV)**

I lost count of how many days I have been down here underground, being forced to work in Chen's Noodle Factory along with the other disqualified Elemental Fighters. Zane and Pixal were thrown back in their cell, unfortunately, and I have been threatened with a sword to never tell anyone that I saw the two Nindroids.

I don't say this often, but this _sucks._

The good part, though, is that none of the disqualified Fighters so far have been any of my team, which means that they have a good chance still of winning the Tournament and busting me, Zane, and Pixal out of here.

Karloff walks up to me and slams a metal fist against my back, letting out a long chuckle. How he smuggled _those_ in is beyond me.

"Another day in the noodle factory, eh, Jay?" Karloff asks with a grin. "Another day closer to the end of the Tournament, I always say!"

I sigh, turning from my work to face him. "That all depends on who wins the Tournament, Karloff. If my friends win, then, yes, we're probably all getting of here. If someone else wins, such as Shade perhaps, then they probably won't care, and we'll be stuck here for the rest of our lives!" I raise my hands dramatically in the air, rolling my eyes at the end, and turning back to the machinery.

It's not that I don't believe we'll ever get out of here, but I'm having a _real_ hard time finding something positive in this atmosphere.

I hope the others are faring better than I am.

* * *

 **(Skylor's POV)**

I love being a rebellious teenager. Currently, my father believes that I am spying for him during the Tournament to make sure that the ninja lose, but...honestly, I'd rather side with them.

Sure, I was originally going to do it for him, but...I've grown to learn that the ninja are actually the good guys in all of this, and my father is a tyrant.

Well, I already knew _that_ part, but it's not like there was ever a good side to even side with for all those years I was forced to live on the island, isolated from the outside world. Chen has abused me and treated me like garbage all of my life, and therefore I'm not to keen on working for him as a spy.

I've already told the ninja about the fact that Chen is my father, and I even gave them all of the information I could share on my father's background, antics, and even all the different hidden secrets and passageways throughout the island.

Oh, if my father knew what I've been doing, I can only _imagine_ his expression.

After getting to know the ninja, I've perceived that Cole is a usually calm member of the team, and arguably the most powerful physically. He seems to have a weakness for food, _especially_ cake. Oh, if we weren't on the same team, that would be a pretty _useful_ advantage in a fight with the Earth Ninja.

Even though I didn't see much of Jay in the Tournament, mostly due to his disqualification, he seemed to be the most laid back, and would often crack a joke or two and wouldn't take much seriously. Still seemed to be pretty skilled.

Kai is definitely the most arrogant of the group, and it shows through and through. Plus, he seems to be crushing on me lately, so that's a bit creepy.

Lloyd is probably the one who I can trust the most, and he is obviously very strong to his morals and beliefs. He understands the whole "evil father" thing, so I guess that's a major similarity I have with the Green Ninja.

And then they spoke of the White Ninja, Zane. He apparently died in a battle with a powerful warlord a few months back, and according to the poster that led the ninja to the island, apparently my father is holding Zane here. Or at least, he says he is.

I asked him about it a few days ago, but he refused to let me see Zane. I can only wonder why...

* * *

 **(Camille's POV)**

Ugh, why did that pipsqueak have to mess everything up? Now that he's injured, our fight was undecided, and now I'm basically sitting here waiting for an answer to who won. I mean, _obviously_ it was me, since Lloyd never would have been able to skate any further after the blast. It makes me wonder, though, who it was that shot him.

Either way, it makes one less opponent to worry about, and for that, I thank the mysterious attacker.

Now, I sit waiting in Chen's Throne Room as I await the final results of the match.

Clouse walks up to me with a slip of paper in his hand, and a smug grin feeling it's way across his lips. "The results are in, Master of Form."

I nod, anticipating the answers.

Of _course,_ I won. Why should I be worried?

Clouse continues, lifting the paper up to his face to read the writing. "By an account by Master Chen himself, the winner of the Thunderblade match has been decided to be the Master of Energy, Lloyd Garmadon."

I feel so many emotions fill my mind and soul at once, but the one that screams the loudest is anger.

 _ **"What?!"**_ I shout, just about to tear my hair out.

Clouse smirks once more, continuing, "One of your laps around the track was uncounted, because you did not have your jadeblade in your hand as you crossed the scoring line. The Master of Earth had your jadeblade for a full lap before it was snatched back by the Master of Speed."

"What? I...everything was happening so fast, I didn't even notice!"

"It doesn't matter. You lose, Master of Form. In representation of Master Chen, we really do hope you enjoyed your time in the Tournament of Elements, and remember...no eating the merchandise!" With that, he pulled a lever, and I was pulled into a trapdoor before I had time to react.

* * *

 **New chapter! Things are being revealed all at once, and it's really getting into Chen's true plot.**

 **As for the reviews:**

 **Zena 1421: We all cry over fictional characters. It's just how we are xD**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Hmm yes, the attacker will most certainly have a lot on his hands. And Shade was never really confirmed to be the Overlord's son lol. But good theory.**

 **Rainbowaly03: Eh, a short review is still a review, and one that I cherish all the same. Thanks, fam!**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **EntityEndDragon: HAHA I KNEW YOU STILL EXIST! Thanks for checking out my work, fam 3**

 **SkyDreamer12: There WILL be a sequel, revolving around Possession! More details will be revealed as we near the end of this story, although that could be a while, who knows.**

 **Guest: Good theory! Thanks!**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	12. Chapter 12: The Sick and the Hidden

**(Lloyd's POV)**

I feel rather weak today, but the pain in my chest has started to die down. That still doesn't take my mind off of the pain that is still very much there. I have regained enough strength at this point that I have been allowed to have Cole roll my bed out of the medbay so I can watch fights or talk with other Elemental Fighters.

Today is no exception.

Cole versus Tox.

I watch with pride as Cole pushes his weight off from the wall and hurls himself towards Tox, who isn't able to move out of the way in time. The result is a loud _thud_ as Tox's body slams into the wooden floor. Cole quickly performs a backflip in order to get back on his feet, and he summons an orb of pure Earth Power in his right palm.

I enjoy indoor matches like this. It makes for less distraction, although I do miss the warm sunlight of the outdoors. Besides, today it is raining, so fighting outside would be more of distraction as ever. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Chen didn't just let them fight outside today. The rain would make this fight a lot harder, especially considering the two elements in play.

Back on the floor, Cole is landing a few more punches at Tox's stomach before she vaults back, sending a drop kick to Cole's face. The Master of Earth takes a moment to recover before making visual with his opponent once more, who emits a poison cloud towards him.

You've got this, Cole. I have faith in the outcome of this battle.

I watch silently as Cole turns his back towards Tox, jumping onto the ground and using his mask to cover as much of his face as possible. A few moments go by, with both Masters still as statues, until the cloud gives way and Cole swings around to send a kick at Tox's stomach.

This is one of Tox's poor decisions that I have noticed in some of the fights last round. She wears light clothing, and leaves her entire stomach exposed. I get that some girls usually wear clothes like that, but come on! Exposed skin is _never_ a good idea in a fight. That's another nitpick I had with the sleeveless tournament gi that Chen gave me and the rest of the team. Sure, it is nice to wear light, breathable clothing that allows us to move around with ease in fights, but exposed skin is a bad idea in a Tournament full of Elemental Fighters, especially with those with sensitive elements.

"How ya feeling?" I don't even have to turn my head to realize who is talking to me, as I immediately recognize Skylor's soft, yet strong voice as she walks up to me. "I heard the injuries were pretty bad."

I nod, turning my head slowly as not to injure it more. "I'm feeling a tad bit better, but I don't count on my body healing quickly any time soon. I may as well be out of the Tournament by now."

"I wouldn't say that," I hear Turner speak quickly as he speeds past us in the form of a wisp of white light. He tears away a tarp to reveal the brackets underneath, and sure enough, a tile bearing a picture of my own face is still very much there. "You're still in this thing, Green Guy!" Turner adds, pushing his red shades higher on his face.

"How is he supposed to keep fighting?" Neuro asks as he walks up from behind me. "He is in near critical condition! How does Chen think he can go on?"

"Can't you, like, use your powers to sense whether or not he's in shape to fight?" Kai asks, to which Neuro scoffs.

"Please! I am the Master of the Mind, not the Master of Cardiac Healing!" The older Elemental Fighter rested a hand on his side, groaning.

I notice something different about Neuro today. Is he...limping?

My thoughts are cut off as a loud crash comes from the battle on the floor, as Cole sends a large boulder towards Tox. The Master of Poison's eyes widen as she freezes in place, unable to move out of the way.

I tear my eyes away from the battle as the boulder crashes into the female Fighter, who lets out a loud groan in pain.

"Winner!" Chen announces from his throne as he gestures a finger towards Cole, who pants hard after a long fight. Then Chen points to Tox, yelling, "Loser!" With a push of a button, The Master of Poison falls through the floor intro a trapdoor, slipping into the darkness below.

 **(Cole's POV)**

I feel kinda bad for Tox as I walk away from the battleground. That boulder to the face _must have_ hurt, not to mention the emotional pain she must have experienced after losing the match.

But it's over now, and that's what matters.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had lost the match instead of Jay those few days ago. Would he fare better than I in the Tournament? Either way, I miss his company, even if we weren't exactly on the best terms lately.

Now Lloyd is near-critically injured, and Kai is distant. This all makes me feel even more separated from the team than ever before. We need Jay's wisecracking attitude that always made us smile when things got rough. We need Lloyd's leadership to keep us together like glue.

But, in the blink of an eye, it only got worse.

And I _feel_ worse.

"Hey, Cole?" I hear Lloyd's hoarse voice call me over, and I hurry beside his medical bed.

"What's up, Greenie?" I ask, looking for any glimpse of life in the Green Ninja. A once incredibly powerful warrior resulted to a weak teenager on a medical bed...it would be funny if it wasn't so depressing.

I'm not sure if it was because of his struggle with speaking, or if speech just wasn't necessary, but I watched silently as Lloyd pointed a weak finger towards Kai, who sat at the other end of the room with his head buried in his gloved hands. Lloyd mouthed a "go", and I knew that if anyone was going to get this team back together, it's gotta be me.

No pressure.

Geez, now I see why Lloyd has been so stressed these past few months.

It feels weird and almost foreign to be back in a "leadership" role of the team again, even if that team is basically down to two standing ninja and one more in a medical bed. But Lloyd is putting his faith in me, and I'm not about to let down another one of my brothers.

Not this time.

But to my dismay, Kai seems to notice me stand up to walk over to him, because he gets up out of his own seat and hurries out of the room. If I wasn't a ninja myself, I probably wouldn't have noticed him sneak away in such a hidden fashion.

By the time I spot Kai again, he is climbing onto the roof of the palace, and the guards don't seem to be too happy about the Red Ninja jumping around. "Kai!" I yell out to my teammate, but he seems to ignore me as he runs out of sight, and I am forced to climb after him.

As my feet hit the roof tiles, I hurry after Kai, making sure to watch my step. Kai is faster than I am, but I have better endurance, so I should be able to gain some common ground with the Master of Fire as soon as he starts to get tired.

"Kai!" I yell out again, and again Kai ignores my call. If anything, he seems to be running even faster now.

As we reach the end of the roof, Kai halts to a stop, and I do the same. There is now only a few feet between us, but his back is still turned towards me.

"Hey, hothead, what do you think you're-" I place a hand on his shoulder, and my speech is cut short as I notice what he is staring at in the distance.

A hooded figure stands in a tree a few yards away, and he seems to be holding some sort of crossbow in his hand.

And it is now that I realize what I know Kai already has.

That's the guy who took out Lloyd.

 **Hey, guess what? This story isn't dead! Lol, I got a few people thinking this story was dead, but I have an excuse. Basketball games are REALLY taking up my week, but luckily they end at the end of February, so it won't be for too much longer.**

 **As for reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Thanks!**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Hmm, I enjoy your thoughts on this story! Thanks!**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Yesssss the theories! Thanks!**

 **Rainbowaly03: Thanks so much, fam.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Karloff is a man of many secrets and few words. Thanks!**

 **Guest: Camille will probably get some spotlight again, that's for sure! Thanks!**

 **SkyDreamer12: I really enjoy your reviews! Thanks so much! Brings a smile to my face! You should feel happy, and should probably be smiling too while reading this. Why? Because I'm smiling! Everyone's smiling! :D There ya go!**

 **Guest: Sorry, but basketball takes up my life sometimes lol.**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	13. Chapter 13: Chen Knows No Bounds

**(Cole's POV)**

As soon as I give confirmation to Kai that I understand what is going on, he nods his head and lifts his bandana over his mouth, and I do the same with mine. Kai quickly jumps off of the roof and into a nearby tree, and I follow him close from behind.

The assassin has noticed our chase, and bounds off into the forest, out of view. I rush ahead of Kai, using my Spinjitzu as I make impact with the ground below. This causes a large bundle of rocks to rise out of the ground and fly into the air. The assassin narrowly dodges the rubble as he continues on, disappearing into the brush.

I let out a long sigh as I break my Spinjitzu, coming to a stop in the small hole that my spinning has created. Kai offers me a hand, and lifts me out of the hole right before we continue our pursuit. He's not getting away this time.

I manage to make out some of my surroundings, and spot the assassin a few feet away. He is climbing a small tree, struggling to get to higher ground. Kai let's out a short grunt as a large fireball emits from his palms, making impact with the assassin's back. Unfortunately, the assassin manages to grab hold of a thick tree branch in time, and continues his climb.

That's it.

I run up to the tree, and throw all of my force into one strong punch, and my fist creates a massive crack in the trunk of the tree. It is now basically chopped in half, and the assassin can't do anything but hang there as the tree slowly falls over, causing a low thump as it hits the ground.

The assassin is down, and I slowly approach the fallen attacker with Kai close behind. Summoning my elemental power into my hands, I shout out, "Don't move!"

The assassin lies still for a moment, before I hear the sound of an unsheathed knife. He swings quickly at us, and I narrowly dodge the sharp blade. He swings at me a few more times, but I manage to kick the knife out his hand. He stares at his now empty hand before swinging at me with his own fists, and I look over to Kai.

"A little help, please?"

Kai nods, firing another fireball at the attacker, who dodges it by a hair. He then sends a swift kick towards Kai, who manages to grab it. Kai then uses the advantage to swing the assassin's leg over his shoulder, slamming his body into the ground.

"Take that, assassin!"

The attacker doubles back up, using his feet to swing himself back up into a fighting position. He quickly pulls a pair of smoke pellets out of his pocket and swings them at the ground, creating a sudden blinding cloud of smoke.

Kai lets out a series of coughs and I find myself doing the same soon after.

As the smoke dissipates, I can see that the assassin is gone.

And so is Kai's patience.

 **(Lloyd's POV)**

I hate being in bed for so long. You can't do anything, and you are always confined to one little area. Being restricted from doing anything is especially aggravating for me, so I'm glad Chen provided these crutches.

My body is slowly healing, and so my ability to walk has come with it. Sure, the crutches slow me down but...it's better than lying around on a bed all day. Even with this great news, it only gives Chen more of a reason to pull me, as well as everyone else, into a meeting about me and Camille's fight.

Great.

I sit down next to Cole, who has his arms folded, and his mouth is turned into a deep frown. His eyes are narrowed, and seems very angry about something. Go figure. I glance over at Kai, and he bears the same expression. What in Ninjago happened last night?

"Attention!" Chen announces from his throne, his arms extended. "Now that everyone's here...Clouse can explain the details. Clouse!"

Clouse emerges from the shadows- I mean literally! He comes out of nowhere, just as always. How does he do that? I guess Dad as right when he said Clouse was a man of many secrets...

"Yes," Clouse's nasaly voice echoes in the room. "I know some of you have been wondering what we will have to do with the recent occurrence of Camille's disqualification and the injury of the Master of Energy." He lifts a scroll up to his face to read. "Camille lost the fight due to not having her blade for a few rounds around the track. Even though neither Elemental Fighter crossed the finish line before the timer ended, the Green Ninja had the most points. As for his injuries, he will be expected to be back in fighting condition in a week or else he will suffer immediate disqualification."

He ranted on and on, but I lost interest as I fell deep in thought. I have to get back into fighting condition in a week.

A FREAKIN week.

How does Chen expect me to fight, even if I do regain my normal abilities? My elemental powers are still extremely weakened. And let's not even get started on the cardiac injuries...

Suuuuure.

I'll be in PERFECT condition to compete in a fighting tournament against people who can shoot supernatural powers out of their hands.

Cardiac injury? Pffffff!

Since when did that stop Eric Liddell?

Or, actually, that was a brain tumor, but I was close!

"And furthermore, Lloyd Garmadon will immediately begin precautionary training from 3:30 to 8 PM everyday for the next week or so before his next fight," Clouse finished, and then walked away.

And here I am once again, being forced beyond my will by Chen to do some crazy shenanigans that will probably make everything worse.

Oh, no, not probably.

DEFINTELY.

 **Where's Uncle Wu when you need him?**

 **New chapter! As for reviews:**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Well, a fight DID happen! So you were right again, haha!**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Remember, kids, make sure to always smash your face into a boulder twice a day to keep your body healthy!**

 **EntityEndDragon: Back once again, old friend! YAS, A COOKIE! Thank you!**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Of course I found the Realm Crystal and went to Ninjago YEARS AGO! How do you think I write the ninja's personalities decently?**

 **Guest: HELLO BASKETBALL BROTHER**

 **RobinLost: Oh okay, thanks! XD**

 **Rainbowaly03: "For reasons I probably shouldn't tell you..." AH! RAIN IS KEEPING SECRETS FROM EVERYONE! Just kidding, fam lol. I understand.**

 **SkyDreamer12: good theory! And great Rebooted knowledge!**

 **Blueberry Bird: YAY MORE COOKIES**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


	14. Chapter 14: Fear and Control

" _ **Reach out to me, young Garmadon."**_

Lloyd pulled up a wad of his blonde hair into his balled fists. He could feel the sweat drip down his forehead like fire – every little drop felt as if it would burn right through him.

" _ **Reach out."**_

Lloyd wanted to scream. He couldn't. Oh for the love of the First Spinjitzu Master, he wanted to do _something._ Once again, he was stuck in one of those terrible, horrible dreams that just about tortured you until you could see the blood on your hands…

But then you would wake up.

Right now, Lloyd wanted nothing more than to skip over to that part. The middle part was always the part he hated. He tried to ignore the images of his parents, Uncle Wu, and even the other ninja suffering. He shut his eyes tighter than he could have ever imagined possible, just so he would never look. He would hate himself forever if he looked, even for a fraction of a second. He tried to ignore that menacing, screeching voice that haunted him every night.

But it was so hard.

So _**heartbreakingly**_ hard.

Watching the people you care about die every night, over and over again…it was disturbing. No, disturbing was too tame of a word to describe what Lloyd had been forced for weeks to experience. It was _**devastating.**_ Wu had talked once about these kind of dreams. They were as intense as they come, and the only way out was to conquer all fear.

Unfortunately for Lloyd, he had more than one fear to check off the bucket list. You would think that being the powerful, heroic Green Ninja would mean you would certainly have no fear, right? Kids grow up sometimes thinking they're invincible. So they do some pretty stupid things. Lloyd, however, knew he wasn't invincible, but he had still done stupid things.

But when he thought back, he had once thought just as kids do. He had once thought being the _son of Lord Garmadon_ would truly mean something for him. He unleashed three of the Serpentine tribes just to prove to everyone that he was invincible, just like his dad. And he supposed unleashing the Serpentine really _was_ stupid, so…

But he got older, and he grew with the fear he had. As he grew, the fear grew with him. As much as he hated to admit it, he had spent years and still had never taken care of this fear. He just let it exist there, y'know, let it do it's thing.

That was a mistake.

" _ **Lloyd Garmadon, your end is very near!"**_

Lloyd's composure stiffened against the voice once more, his eyes narrowing and his mouth forming into an angry, teeth-barring snarl. "Stay away!" He was so done with this same scene playing in his little dream world every single night. He knew it all by heart at this point. Every night it was the same. Kai was the first to go, then Nya. Then Jay would rush by her side, leading to his own death. Then Cole would scream to Lloyd to run. _"They're everywhere, Lloyd! Everywhere-!"_ That's when his words would be cut off by his own sudden death - his limp, lifeless body falling to the floor.

And then everything would black over, back to that horrible, terrible creature who took his brother Zane from him. That selfish being…

 _Overlord._

Lloyd had once thought that the booming, horrendous voice that killed his brothers in his dreams was the Overlord, but he knew it really wasn't. It was someone completely different. Lloyd had a feeling that deep down, he knew who it was. But it hurt too much to believe it.

Add one more fear to the bucket list.

" _ **You're scared. Scared of me! Scared of failure!"**_

Lloyd let out a shaky breath, hoping the terrible dream was near over.

" _ **Scared of**_ _ **YOURSELF**_ _ **."**_

Lloyd woke with a jolt, finding himself once more in his room. In Chen's palace…

No more terrifying death nightmares. At least for now…

Now, he had a tournament to prepare for. It was enough that Chen wanted him to get back in, but on such short notice? After going through blast damage by some unknown attacker? It just…doesn't make sense. But then again, neither does Chen. Or anything else on the island.

With a groan, Lloyd managed to slip out of the bed. His feet made impact with the floor lightly and slowly, yet the pain he received from it was very much there. Gritting his teeth, he managed to stand up properly and moved his hand over to the bedstand to grab his walking stick. His hand felt nothing, and he realized that the stick was stood alongside the edge of the mirror on the other end of the room.

 _Might as well use this as good practice,_ he thought to himself, extending his hand across the room, towards that stick. With his eyes shut, and his mind quieted, he focused only on the elements, connecting with the elements around him. He never questioned how he was still able to do his without Golden Power. He just…connected. It was nowhere as strong as it had once been, but the connection with all the elements was still very much there.

He searched around with his senses, and he eventually picked up the one he looked for. Connecting to Neuro's elemental signature, Lloyd locked his hands at his chest like he used to do when he first started training with his green Energy powers as a kid, and created a force lock between his palms. The element formed inside, and a green haze overtook it. Using the manipulated power over gravity, Lloyd called the walking stick to his hand, and within less than a second, the stick reacted to his call, flying into his hand with great speed and accuracy.

With a smile, Lloyd threw a coat on over his tournament gi, taking note of the yet present snow outside his room. Winter seemed to never leave here. Locking his door, he slid the key back into the pocket of his green gi, and walked off in the direction of the front doors.

"Hey, leaving so soon?" A voice called after him. Lloyd turned his head to see.

"Oh, hey. Kapau, right?" Lloyd grinned. "Nah, I'm just heading out to train under the sunrise. It's the best way to train, if you ask me."

Kapau stood with jaw dropped, his eyes wide in surprise.

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably. "Uh…is it something I said?"

"You…you got my name right!" Kapau exclaimed, his mouth forming in a giant grin. "Thank you! So much!"

"Uh…you're welcome?"

"Onion Dip no more! Kapau I shall forever be!" The cultist laughed hysterically, causing Lloyd to slowly back away.

"Okay then…"

"Hey, Chope!" Kapau called into the other room. "Someone got my name right!"

"No way!" Chope exclaimed, running out. "Can he get my name right, too? My name's Chope!"

"You literally just told him your name, idiot," Kapau pointed out. "What else would he call you now?"

"I just wanna hear it!" Chope laughed. "Go on, Green Ninja! Go on!"

Lloyd was officially weirded out. "Uh…hey, Chope?"

"AH!" Chope screamed, looking at Kapau. "He got my name right! HE GOT MY NAME RIGHT!"

"I know! This feels so rewarding, dude!" Kapau laughed. He turned back to Lloyd. "Hey, pal, thanks for the kind gesture. We owe you one. But not really, cuz if Master Chen found out, he'd feed us to Clouse's giant pet snake, but you get the point."

"Also, don't tell Master Chen, but we're up early making blueberry pancakes," Chope added. "Would you like some?"

"No thanks!" Lloyd stuttered as he ran out past the doors outside. "I need to get out of this nuthouse!"

* * *

"Skylor, my dear…" Chen cooed, walking off of his podium and down to his daughter, who stood there waiting for him. He moved his hand to touch her cheek, but she shifted away, hiding away her face.

"I'm not so keen on having you place your dirty hands on my face, _father._ " She muttered. "You're being unfair to the contestants again."

"Unfair?" Chen exclaimed. "How so? All I've ever done is make the tournament better for everyone! Unless you're talking about Lloyd..."

" _Yes_ ," Skylor spoke harshly. "That's _exactly_ what I'm talking about. He just suffered major injuries to himself, and you're expecting him to just…get back up and fight some people? And Bolobo- he got cuts all over his face, and you told him to put salt on it!"

"Yeah, he's an idiot for listening to that fortune cookie," Chen laughed. "But like I say, 'no fortune cookie can lie!'"

"That statement is literally so false that I…ugh, I just can't." Skylor facepalmed and walked out of the room. Chen was so caught up in himself that he never noticed his daughter leave the room.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Been awhile, eh?**

 **I'm so sorry that it's been a while since I last updated this story. What has it been, January? Either way, I'm sorry this chapter is so late. I've just been really caught up with school and life, and haven't had a ton of time to work on chapters. But I really do feel like I've got my writing mojo back, so that's good.**

 **As for reviews,**

 **Zena: Yes, there will be much of that.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Lol I love your comment on meeting Chen on the streets. Hope you see this chapter soon, Mel. We all miss you.**

 **AuroraRain18: Sorry you probably won't see this chapter this week, Rain. :/ But as always, your review made me smile. Thank you for that.**

 **RiverIsTheMagicWord: Haha, just calling me EB is okay. Diamond is a WHOLE other person, who's name I just bore as a tribute I guess lol. And I'm glad you're so hyped for these chapters. Gives me a whole lot of motivation, I tell ya.**

 **EntityEndDragon: Thanks again for the delightful comment, old friend!**

 **RandomDragon2.0: Yes, it's a MASSIVE pickle!**

 **Blueberry Bird:**

 **1\. Sorry, I don't like to spoil anything.**

 **2\. Cookies are the best medicine (::)**

 **3\. More of that will come xD**

 **SkyDreamer12: It's funny sometimes what things make us laugh. Thanks!**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **~EB**


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